Wire tightener and twister for concrete forms



Dec. 27, T949 E. J. DULLAGHAN WIRE TIGHTENER AND TWISTER FOR CONCRETE FORMS Filed Jari. 19, 1948 l Envenfor Edward .J Du//og/mn an ii( Gttorneg Patented Dec. 27, 1949 STATES PATENT OFFICE WIRE T AND TWISTERFOR. CUN'CRETE EORMS Edwdz J'. Dullaghan, Boise, Idaho Application-Timmy 19, 1948r SeraIlN'o.. 3,024.

f @Palms (Cl. MII-415% This invention relates to la. wire pul'linx and tying device and' is more particulariy designed for tightening and tying concrete forni ti'e wires.

The principal ob'ect. ofthe inventioni's toprovi-d'e av highly efficient device which will draw the wiresl to anyv desired degree of tensionY and* which will form a tying twist therein without dangerV of twisting oli or burning off the wire.

`Other'lolcjects and advantages reside inthe de'- tailY construction ofthe. invention., which is designed for simplicity, economy, and /eillciencm rIhese Iwill Ilifecome more apparent from the fol*- lowing description.

In. the following' detailed description of thev in:- vention, reference is had to the accompanying drawing which :forms a -part hereof. Like nnmeral's refer to like parts in all views ofthe drawing and' throughout the description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view illustrating a typical concrete wall formil'lustrati'ng' the invention in -place thereon; Y

Fig. 2 is a 'detail' view illustrating` the type of wire tie formed by the device,V

Fig. 3' is van enlarged. side. view of the improved wire tying jack;

Fig.. 4 is a -plan view thereof illustrating,V it' in the process of' forming, the prelimmary turn for. a `wire ti'e Fig. 5l is a longitudinal section taken, on the. line 5--5,.Fig.. 3',.illustrating,the tool in the process of completingthe wire tie.; and

Fig. 62 is an` enlarged. section. through the, point ofthe improvedv ack. taken., on tlie line 3 6, Fig. 4.

In Fig. 1` the side forms oi a. typical concrete Wall form is indicated at Ill with," its. vertical; struts at III and' spacers. at" I2. The struts. are

held together against the spacers by means oa.

tie wire I3. The wire` is passed` between. the

boards lof the form andi around the struts IT.z

The two. extremities are twisted into a tying twist.

This invention is designed-fori applying, tension: to the wire I3 and formingI the tying twist in the w1re.

The improved jack consists of a. lack hat I4- having ratchet teeth I5 formed in one of its edges; One extremity ofthe bar I4' is provided with a wire twisting head I5.

'The main frame. is slidably mountedF on the jack bar t4. An operating` lever I8 is hingedlx mounted =on a. lever pin HT extending through a pair of arms 20 from the main frame IT. The side arms 20 terminate in a receiving socketl forrecefving a hoicfing bar 4f. A ratchet'dog 2f 55 is mounted on aratchet vpin 22 extending through the arms IB. The. extremity of the dog 21 successively engages the ratchet teeth I5 as the levers Iiare swunghack Iand forth.

The. operating Ievers are provided with a reoeiving socket 23 for receiving a jack handle 24. A holding dog 25' is mounted upon 1a pin extending across the main frame. The dog 25 is lifted lby' means of a connecting: link 23" connected at one extremity to' the dog 2t by means of apin 2l. The link 26 isy provided at its other extremltlr w'itiranelongated slot 28` which ridesv upon a Ipin 29 in the holding dog 25. The dog 2'I is constantly urged toward' the teeth |15 by means of a spring plunger 301 and'. the dog 25 is similarly urgedwby means of' a second spring plunger 3i.

At each outward stroke ofthe olcveratingr levers I8 the ratchet dog l travels outwardly along the teeth I`5. approaches the outward limit of its' travel thex pin 29' willV reach the extremity of the slot 2-8 lifting the holding dog. At each inward' stroke the dog willY push the frame I1' outlWarcily'.

Ai oat'ing frame 32 iswal'so slidably mounted on the' jack" bar f4 andconnected' to the main frame FF at each sideby means of two toggle links 33 and' 4'91 The two toggle links 33 are connected together' bymeansofa cross-piece 34. Each linkv 33 is provided with a lfocki-ng tooth 45 positioned to enga-gera locking'l-atc'h 46. A tension spring 35 extendsy 4from: aspring socket' in the main frame IT intera' simi-lar spring socket in the floating frame 32" terminating at its extremity in spring pins 3E. The floating frame' 32 is vprovided at each side with a stationary vise block 31.

A gripping cam 38 'acts against .each vise block 3T- to grip the extremity ofV the' wire I3 in place. The gripping cams 38- are provided with vise handles 39 rer' clamping themy against the wire and are proviiied with releasing arms 40.

*l5l1e'-twisting head isv formed" with a laterallyv extending wire receiving notch 41| having an arctrateiyf curved bottom as shown in Fig. 6. A Winding 4:2 is inserted in. the, bottom at the highw vmint thereof and projects outwardly to form ataperedwire winding post'. Y 'Ehefoperation of thevjack is as follows the wire I3fis passed through the two form-s Iii and around the far strut` EL. The two extremities of the wire 'arer broughtout on each siderv of theY near strut II andv through the sides ofthe wire. receiving slot. 4&1.. TheyV are then. 'passed against the vise blocks 3l and' clamped against these blocks meansof the handles 39. The jack handTe 24 is then reciprocated" with one hand while the jack is' supported with the other hand on the arm 44. This causes the frame I1 to travel outwardly along the ratchet bar I4. Its outward movement is communicated to the floating frame 32 by the toggle links 33, since they lare locked by means of the locking tooth 45 and the locking latch 46.

When the desired tension has been placed in the wire the entire tool is rotated around the Winding point l2 for approximately one-half a revolution. This hooks the two extremities of the wire I3 together. The latch 4@ is now released, freeing the floating frame 32 from the main frame ll and the tool is rotated for five or six additional turns. This rotation winds the two wires around the pin 62 in a conical wind or helix such as shown in Fig. 2. Y

The wire required to form the helix is obtained by the sliding action of thefloating frame 32 toward the twisting head It under the tension of the spring 35. This keeps sumcient tension on the wire to form a perfect wind but allows the wire sufiicient freedom so that it will not be twisted or broken in forming the wind.

The releasing arms t0 act as safeties, that is, should the wire be too short or should the head be revolved too many times these arms will contact the head I6 releasing the gripping cams 3B from the wire.

The gripping faces of the cams 3B are preferably roughened as shown in broken line at 4l, to obtain a better grip upon the Wire and these cams are provided with side flanges i8 which prevent the wire from slipping from the vise blocks 31.

While a specic form of the improvement has been described and illustrated herein, it is desired to be understood that the saine may be varied, within the scope'of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired secured by Letters Patent 1. A device for tightening and tying concrete form tie wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; means for imparting traveling movement to said main frame; a oating frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; a tension spring connecting said floating frame to said main frame; wire clamping means on said floating frame for securing the extremities of a wire thereto; a winding pin projecting from the extremity of said jack bar adjacent said iioating frame; and means for rotating said jack bar to wind the extremities of said wire about said pin under the tenson of said springs.

2. A device for tightening and tying concrete form tie Wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame arranged to travel along said jack bar;

means for imparting traveling movement to said main frame; a floating frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; a tension spring connecting said iloating frame to said main frame; wire clamping means on said floating frame for securing the extremities of a wire thereto; a winding pin projecting from the extremity of said jack bar adjacent said floating frame; and means for rotating said jack bar to Wind the extremities of said wire about said pin under the tension of said springs; a pair of hinged- 4 position for locking said floating frame to said main frame during the tightening operatori.

3. A device for tightening and tying concrete form tie wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; means for imparting traveling movement to said main frame; a iioating frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; a tension spring connecting said'noating frame to said main frame; wire clamping means on said oating frame for securing the extremities of a wire thereto; and a tying head on the extremity of said jack bar adopted to contact the concrete form structure,

. said tying head having a wire groove across its means for imparting traveling movement to said face through which said wire extremities pass to to said clamping means; means for rotating said jack bar, said frames, and said tying head as a unit'to wind the extremities of said wire together under the tension of said springs; and releasable means rigidly connecting said floating frame to said main frame during the winding operation.

4. A'device for tightening and tying concrete form tie wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame arranged to travel along said jack bar;

Vmeans for imparting traveling movement to said main frame; a floating frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; a tension spring connecting said oating frame to said main frame; wire clamping means on said floating frame for securing the extremities of a wire thereto; a tying head on the extremity of said jack bar adopted to contact the concrete form structure, said tying head having a wire groove across its face through which said wire extremities pass to said clamping means; means for rotating said jack bar, said frames, and said tying head as a unit to Wind the extremities of said wire together under the'tension of said springs; and releasable means rigidlyV connecting said floating frame to said main frame during the winding operation; and a tapered winding point inset in said head at the mid-point of said groove to form an axis about which said wires will wind when said head is rotated, said floating frame being free to move away from said main frame under the tension of lsaid springs as said wire is wound to allow Winding slack therein. Y

5. A device for tightening and tying concrete form tie wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame' arranged to travel along said jack bar;

main frame; a iloating frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; resilient means connecting said floating frame to said mainframe and acting to pull the former toward the latter; wire clamp ing means on said floating frame for securing the extremities of a wire thereto; a tying head on the extremity of said jack bar adopted to contact therconcrete form structure, said tying head having a wire groove across its face through which said wire extremities pass to said clamping means; and releasing arms projecting from said wire clamping means and positioned to contact said tying head to release said clamping f Ameans at a predetermined point.

" 6. A device for tightening and tying concrete formftie wires comprising: a jack bar; a main frame arranged to travel along said jack bar; an operating lever hinged on said frame; a ratchet dog carried by said operating lever so as to .successively engage ratchet teeth formed on Y said Ajack bar as said ratchet lever is reciprocated to impart a traveling movement to said main frame; a holding dog mounted on said frame and successively engagingsaid teeth to prevent return movement of said main frame; a winding head on the extremity of said jack bar adapted to contact a concrete form structure; a Wire groove across said winding head for receiving the extremities of a tie wire; a winding point projecting from said head at the middle of said groove about which said extremities will wind when said head is rotated; a oating frame slidlably mounted on said jack bar between said main frame and said head; a tension spring connecting said floating frame to said main frame so as to allow the former to be drawn away from the latter under the tension of said spring; means on said floating frame for securing the extremities of said tie wire thereto; and releasable means for xedly latching said floating frame to said main frame when desired.

'7. In a wire tightening tool for tightening the tie wires of concrete forms, means for winding the extremities of said tie wires together comprislng: a winding head; a groove extending across the face of and upwardly along the two sides of said head in which the extremities of said wire are received so that rotation of said head will twist said two extremities about each other; movable means holding the extremities of Asaid wire; and a spring connected with said movable means and normally urging the latter away from said head so as to allow said movable means to move toward said head as said wire is wound about said winding point; and means for rotating said winding head and said movable means so as to wind said wire about said point. EDWARD J. DULLAGHAN.

REFERENCES CITEDl The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

